Trees for the Future (TREES) is ending hunger and extreme poverty for farmers in developing nations. Founded in 1989 to combat unsustainable land use practices in the developing world, TREES’ mission is to improve the livelihoods of impoverished farmers through revitalizing degraded lands. For 28 years, we have worked at the intersection of poverty alleviation and sustainable agriculture. We accomplish our mission through two main strategies: 1) Teaching our Forest Garden program for growing food and increasing incomes to impoverished farming communities; and 2) Training agricultural extension experts and practitioners at food assistance organizations in Forest Garden implementation. Through our “Forest Garden Approach” we train farmers to plant and manage Forest Gardens that sustainably feed families and raise their incomes by an average of 400%. The Forest Garden Training Program is designed to give international development practitioners working in agriculture, livelihoods and health sectors an easily deployable and replicable solution to end hunger, poverty and deforestation. This flexible farmer extension training and empowerment methodology enables trainers to guide communities, cooperatives and farmer groups through a step-by-step process that helps them to protect , diversify and optimize their land. Through the four years of training, farmers learn to increase their incomes and adapting to the effects of climate change. Farms are the basic building blocks of most landscapes. By bringing them into sustainability we can have a tremendous impact on people and the planet.

Objective 1: Use agroforestry to meet the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, specifically:
Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote
sustainable agriculture
Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
Goal 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and
decent work for all
Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Goal 15: Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse
land degradation, halt biodiversity loss
Goal 17: Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
Objective 2: Pursue certification as a Forest Garden Trainer knowledgeable of the latest ideas in
sustainable agriculture, permagardening and agroforestry for smallholder farmers.
Objective 3: Assist farmers in meeting new market opportunities by expanding vegetable
production, increasing garden diversity, and scheduling planting and harvesting to meet
demand.
Objective 4: Teach farmers about how market prices for different products can be affected by
different factors and when is the best time to sell different products at market.

To familiarize UN officers and participants from the UN NGO community with the Forest Garden Approach so they can learn to use and apply it in their own initiatives to meet multiple SDGs (Goals 1, 2, 3, 8, 10, 12, 13, and 15).

To enable UN officers, UN NGO community, and host country partners to achieve Forest Garden Trainer Certification and participate in a global community of certified trainers and tree planters who are planting millions of trees every year.

This International Mother Earth Day Special Workshop will cover how Trees for the Future’s agroforestry method (The Forest Garden Approach) is meeting 9 Sustainable Development Goals. It will also cover the importance of optimizing various on-farm needs and discuss how facilitators can get certified in the Forest Garden Approach. All new Certified Forest Garden Trainers will earn access to Trees for the Future’s global trainer app and tree planting community, and they will also be celebrated on World Environment Day, June 5 th .

Through a series of fast-paced, interactive sessions, participants in this three-part training series will learn both key agroforestry techniques and training facilitation skills required to pass the Forest Garden Certification Exam. Once becoming a Certified Forest Garden Trainer, anyone, anywhere can participate in Trees for the Future’s global learning community of trainers working across the developing world.

Diplomats, project leaders, community leaders and international NGOs working with agriculture, nutrition, food security, economic growth, environment, and sustainable livelihoods are ideal participants. Participants are encouraged to take the online Forest Garden Trainer Certification exam in the weeks immediately after the third session in April. Additional reading outside of the sessions will be required to prepare for the certification exam. All new Certified Forest Garden Trainers will earn access to Trees for the Future’s global trainer app and tree planting community, and they will also be celebrated on World Environment Day, June 5th.